Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Look For Mookie Betts To "Steal" The Show In 2016

(Getty Images)

The 2015 season was a breakout one for Mookie Betts. He was a revelation at his adopted outfield positions (for example, robbing Bryce Harper of a HR in the Fenway Opener), posted a solid .823 OPS as Boston's lead-off hitter and hit .291 with 18 HRs and 77 RBIs. He also featured 21 stolen bases. That last statistic is likely to improve in 2016—as the Red Sox aggressively unleash their young stars on the basepaths. With Dustin Pedroia hitting second and Xander Bogaerts in the three hole, Boston will have multiple opportunities to move lots of runners. Bogaerts, too, should be more daring this season—after swiping 10 bags in 2015. All in all, John Farrell's troops are likely to push the envelope with speed as they try to improve on the anemic run production of 2014-15. Mookie will probably be the leading edge of that effort.

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